Best Samsung Smart Watches 2017 – From Gear 2 to Gear S2

The Smart Watch is on the rise with 20% of online adults in the U.S. already owning one form of wearable technology, be it a smart watch or a fitness tracker. With the rise in sales, so too rises the expectation of exactly what a smart watch should do. It’s a highly competitive market and one that Samsung smart watches have taken by storm since the release of Samsungs’s first smart watch, the “Galaxy Gear” in 2013.

Between then and now, Samsung has released a staggering 7 other smart watches – all with different capabilities and garnering varying reception from buyers and critics. One trend is certain though: each new watch it releases is a vast improvement one the last one. This means the company takes innovation and improvement seriously, but it also means that the list of best Samsung smart watches goes in an descending order, with the best one also being the latest one.

Here is a comprehensive list of all the best, unmissable Samsung smart watches:

5. Samsung Gear 2

Battery Life: 2-3 day battery life with 300mAh

charging cradle

IP rating: IP67

Connectivity: Bluetooth

Processor: Dual-core

Storage: 4GB & 512Mb of RAM

Display: HR Sensor, Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor

The Gear 2 presents various improvements on the original “Gear” (which was also Samsung’s first smart watch). Released in April 2014, Samsung introduced its own operating system, “Tizen,” moving away from Android. The Gear 2 also has many new features, which ensure it isn’t just a notification centre for your phone, but a fully-fledged, independent smart device bent on improving your lifestyle. It retails for $250.

Design

The Gear 2 has a much-improved design over its predecessor. The watch face features a brushed steal look and comes in a greater variety of colors like gold and rose, making it much more fashionable. With the Gear 2, users will now be able to choose from a variety of different straps.

It no longer has visible screws at the front and the home button has been moved from the side to the front. The camera has been moved from the strap to the front of the watch, making picture-taking much more practical.

Display

With this Samsung smart watch, the company introduces an IP67-rated screen, which means it is dust- and splash- proof. The screen measures 58.4mm high x 36.9mm wide and is 10mm thick. It is also super amoled with a screen resolution of 320 x 320 at 278ppi. The screen features a built-in camera with 2MP resolution, autofocus and 30fps video that is able to act much like a GoPro.

Features

The Gear 2 sees the introduction of Samsung’s very own operating platform “Tizen.” Complete with its own app store featuring over a thousand apps, this ensures that Samsung stands out in a smart watch market dominated by OS and Android operating systems.

It features a built-in heart-rate sensor that goes with the “fitness motivator” feature. This feature tracks your fitness status and calculates and summarises your workout stats, ensuring you can maintain your fitness goals.

Samsung introduces features like “IrLed” and “WatchON,” which allows the user to control their TV with their watch. It also has a longer battery life than the standard Gear.

Why it’s special

The Gear 2 sees Samsung making a bold move by making this watch a stand-alone product that doesn’t just act as a bystander to your phone. With the new health tracker, built-in camera, and hundreds of apps, Gear 2 paves the way for future Samsung models.

4. Gear 2 Neo

The Gear 2 Neo was released alongside the Gear 2 and features the same specs and design. It differs however in price, size and in the lack of a camera.

Design

The Neo is 20% lighter due to the absence of a camera, weighing 55g and has a slightly larger face than the Gear 2, measuring 37.9mm high x 58.8mm wide.

Features

The Neo, along with the Gear 2, is able to connect to speakers and headphones through bluetooth, making it a great companion for runners without the need of their phone. The 4GB worth of music storage also helps.

Why it’s special

The biggest reason this version is so special is because it’s almost half the price of the Gear 2, coming in at almost half the price (around $130) this makes it just so much more accessible to people are willing to give up the camera. It’s a truly affordable smart watch, with all the high-tech features you’d expect.

The Samsung Gear S was a leap in innovation for Samsung when it was first released in November 2014 and signifies the first time Samsung smart watches can act as a stand-alone device, able to receive calls and send messages like a normal phone. It retails for $329.

Design

The Gear S sees the introduction of a curved display, which seamlessly adjusts to the curve of your wrist. The watch is 12,5mm thick, making it slightly on the bulky side but nonetheless comfortable. The rubber strap can be replaced by straps of varying colours.

Display

The screen measures 39.9mm wide and 58.1mm high, giving the user a extraordinarily large interface. features a resolution of 360 x 480 pixels, at 300ppi and is super amoled.

Features

The S is compatible with a nano-SIM card and can be used as an independent device. With the additional purchase of a phone contract, it allows you to connect to 3G, enabling you to make and receive calls, send and receive messages and take on the role as a “mini-phone”

The screen is bigger than ever, making it easier to type messages, read emails and navigate through all the menus.

The S also sees the introduction of a GPS-enabled watch for Samsung, adding a whole new function to Samsung smart watches. It works with the “Here” app, providing step-by-step directions on the large screen.

Why it’s special

The SIM card compatibility is a huge bonus for buyers as they will now be able to use the watch completely independently from their phone. This feature beat out many competitors at the time like the Apple Watch. The size of the screen is also a plus point and makes this watch so much more user-friendly and appealing.

Released in March 2015, the Gear S2 is by far the most advanced of all Samsung smart watches and is amongst the best ones in the current smart watch market giving serious competition to other revered smart watches by companies such as Huawei and Apple. It also appears on countless “Best Smart Watch” lists across the web:

Design

From a design standpoint, the S2 is sleek, modern and streamlined. The watch face is 11,4mm thick and it weighs 47 grams. The S2 has a stainless steel face with a rotating bezel. The strap is plastic and comes in many different colours. Samsung has partnered with design company “Atelier Mendini,” which is behind the many different, colourful geometric designs available on the various straps.

Display

The watch uses the standard Tizen interface. The circular touch screen screen measures 42.3mm x 49.8mm,is amoled and displays a crisp 360 x 360 pixels at 320ppi. The bezel allows you to scroll effortlessly between apps and notification but also allows for the use of touch screen alone.

Features

1. The rotating bezel is perhaps the most interesting additions to the features of the Gear S2. It’s the first time Samsung has opted for this way of navigating through the menus and screens of the watch in addition to having a touch screen. There are two hard buttons on the side of the watch: the top one takes you back to the home screen, and the bottom one takes you to your apps.

2.Unlike any of its predecessors, the S2 is now compatible to work on any Android phone and not just a Samsung designed one.

3. With this version, Samsung brings you an improved “S-Health,” which is a 24-hour health tracking service, that tracks you heart rate, daily activity and your water to coffee ration intake. It also alerts you if you’ve been inactive for too long. This feature has been vital in helping people stay aware of their health and fitness.

Why it’s special

The Gear S2 is the first time Samsung has introduced a round design to its smart watch. The face, the bezel and the apps all accommodate the round design making it not a only a good-looking watch but more intuitive to use. This watch is also special because of its compatibility, making it the first time Samsung introduces a watch that can be used by all Android users and not just owners of the Samsung Galaxy S.

1. Gear S2 Classic

The Gear S2 Classic is another version of the Gear S2 with all the same features and specs save for a difference in appearance and price.

Design

The Samsung smart watches from the Gear S2 Classic range come in with a stylish leather strap and unlike its plastic counterpart are considered the more fashion-friendly of the two embodying a more classic look. These Smasung smart watches have a 20mm fastening, which means you can attach other watch straps to the watch, broadening your style options. The Gear S2 Classic is more dainty, weighing 5g less than the Gear S2 and sporting a smaller screen at 39.9mm x 43.6mm

The display also goes for a more classic feel, showcasing the face one might expect to find on a “Tagheuer”.

Price

For the added sleekness and style, the S2 Classic clocks in at $299.99, making it $50 more expensive than the standard S2.

Why it’s Special

The Gears S2 is special because it has all the same tech features as the standard S2, but adds style, sleekness and class for the more fashion-conscious wearer. It even featured in a fashion shoot. The 20mm strap fastening makes it highly adaptable and easy to style to your preference.

Samsung Smart Watches

Samsung has steadily climbed the smart watch popularity ladder over the years. Ever since the launch of their first Gear watch, Samsung has only improved upon what they set out to do. They’ve adapted to the demand and the changing market but also kept a sense of individuality by developing their very own operating platform.

They’ve evolved by moving away from making their watches solely compatible with Samsung products and have branched out in the amount of apps they have by involving 3rd party designers. In term of design, Samsung has changed its approach several times, playing with different materials, shapes and sizes to eventually settle on a widely successful Gear S2, which to many is a dream smart watch incorporating everything to make their lifestyle easier.

Finally, the biggest feature that sets Samsung smart watches apart from other competitors in the smart watch industry, is its desire to make watches that are stand-alone devices, which can function independently from phones and offer all the same features but in a much more compact size. It seeks to eliminate the days where phone and watch are dependent, and instead strives to build a true “watch of the future,” that can manage and improve people’s lives all from their wrist.

Do you own a Samsung smart watch? Would you choose it over another one (Apple, Pebble, Google Wear)? Let us know in the comments!

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